ROAD TRIP ACROSS AMERICA 2012 – 2013 All Wednesdays unless otherwise posted school releases at 1:30 p.m. What’s Coming Up? Send in your Box Tops - PO Box 237 Index, WA 98256
5/23 Early Release 11:30 Bear News Day 5/24 No School 5/27 Memorial Day – No School 5/30 Spring Program 6:30 p.m. Parent Group Raffle Drawing 6/5 – 6/7 5th -8th Camp 6/6 Field Trip K-4 Mukilteo Lighthouse Park 6/13 Field Day 6/14 Early Release 11:30 – Enjoy Summer
Many thanks to the Corson crew over at River House for taking our students through a river safety exercise. One of the reasons we do swimming classes up here is the proximity of the river in this valley. Along with being a great recreational exercise, knowing how to swim is a life or death skill. Even the best of swimmers can get in trouble in our swift and cold rivers; hence River House doing a river safety class with kids is a good idea. Supervision is always the best safety line, but kids have their ways. As this year comes to an end, we begin to think of next year. The teaching staff each year selects a “theme” to guide our curriculum during the course of the year. This year we traveled across the country. Next year? It seems we are traveling through the worlds of fantasy and imagination. Every country has their myths and legends-- King Arthur in England, Paul Bunyan in the Northwest, and the Native Americans had theirs. India and Japan each have stories that have been passed down over the centuries. Walt Disney made a fortune through the use of his imagination. What do these myths and legends from around the world have in common? What lessons were passed on? As an example, the “knights” of the round table lived their life by a code called “chivalry.” Many of the concepts and ethics of this mythical land are still alive in our cultures today. Even now, archeologists are trying to find the “real Camelot.” Myth, legend, or real? Atlantis is a fabled city that disappeared under water. Evidence suggests that remnants of it may be in the Greek Isles under a large volcanic crater. One of my bucket list dreams is to go to that island some day. Anyway, I am looking forward to watching this concept develop as the year progresses. I can just imagine what Karen might do with her music and drama contributions. ***************************** Index School Board of Directors has an open position. Applicants must be a United States citizen and qualified voter resident in the Index School District.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to send a letter including a biographical sketch and your interest in the position. Letters will be accepted in the school office or the post office through June 30, 2013.
Index School District # 63 Board Position #1 P.O. Box 237 Index, WA 98256
Be sure to include your contact information and any other information you would like to share. ****************************** If you have not signed up already, please sign up at http://www.escrip.com/ to be a part of the eScrip program and shop at Safeway to help our school. Our group is called Index School District.
In order to participate in the eScrip program, you must first register your Carrs Plus/Safeway Club Card, choosing your preferred organization(s) for contribution. Present your registered Carrs Plus/Safeway Club Card in a participating Carrs/Safeway store at the checkout to track your qualifying purchases and contributions to your chosen organization(s).
They will contribute: 1%
on monthly qualifying purchases between $0-$300
From August 14th through September 10th shopping will pay off with a Back to School incentive program. ***************************** Mrs. Hansen’s Class’s Yearly Camp Trip! This year the class will attend an award-winning environmental education program for students.Mountain School is a nationally recognized environmental education program offered by North Cascades Institute in cooperation with North Cascades National Park. Mountain School students come to the North Cascades with their school class, teacher and chaperones to learn about the ecosystems, geology and natural and cultural history of the mountains. Mountain School gives young people an experience they will remember forever. WHERE IS MOUNTAIN SCHOOL?Mountain School is surrounded by 7,000,000 acres of protected public lands in Washington and British Columbia. In the middle lies 684,000-acre North Cascades National Park – our neighborhood. With 93 percent of its area designated as Wilderness, the Park is known for its steep mountains, ever-flowing streams and tremendous biological diversity. With more than 300 glaciers and countless snowfields, the Park is one of the most rugged and heavily glaciated areas in the United States outside of Alaska. The North Cascades are a national treasure and living laboratory awaiting discovery. Our Learning Center is located in North Cascades National Park in the heart of the North Cascades mountain range. The 16 building facility includes classrooms, labs, library, dining hall and lodges. It is located on the shores of Diablo Lake with numerous trails and three trail side-learning shelters. Their foodshed program focuses on offering appealing and wholesome food choices that are local, organic and sustainably produced. Mountain School participants stay in three dormitory-style lodges, which sleep a total of 69 participants. Each room sleeps two to three participants with two shared bathrooms in each lodge. Weather at this site varies greatly depending on the season, so they ask participants to be prepared for all conditions.
Ecosystem Explorations –A strong focus on science and the natural and cultural history of the North Cascades provides the academic foundation of this Mountain School program. Our days will be spent hiking on trails that surround the Learning Center. Hands-on educational activities along the trail introduce students to mountain ecosystems and provide an up close look at diverse ecological communities in the North Cascades. The educational experience continues back at the Learning Center in our fully equipped Aquatic and Terrestrial labs. Topics of study may include: wildlife of the North Cascades, biodiversity, food webs, glaciers and geology, watersheds, cultural history, ethnobotany and forest ecology. Students will bond as a group as they work, learn, reflect and play games together in a wilderness classroom.
Planets Put On A Show May 26
The sunset of May 26 will be extra special. On that date, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will gather in the fading twilight to form a bright triangle only three degrees wide. You don't have to wait until May 26 to enjoy the show, however. The planets start gathering weeks earlier. Look to the west! Learn more at ScienceAtNASA.gov. ************************************ SCHOOL REGISTRATION We will host summer registration for new and returning students in August. Flyers will be placed at the store and on the front door of the school. Preschool is planned to start in October. Children must be four by August 31st and potty- trained. If you see Linda’s car parked outside, feel free to stop in if you have a question or a need from the school. *******************************Ms. Carol Writes:
On Friday, May 17th, our class and Mrs. Hansen’s class went to the Schack Art Center with a class from Skykomish School. We toured the “Book Arts” exhibit. We were able to attend a class to learn how to make an accordion book. There never seems to be enough time to spend at the Art Center. All the students agreed that they would like to take their families back to the Schack for another look around.
Here are the student’s impressions of their Art field trip.
Aryion liked a piece of art that was a fan with depiction of the World War II Japanese internment camps.
Gwen enjoyed our walk around Index and the tour of the Index History Museum. She said it was cool to learn about her town.
Nancy liked seeing all the artwork.
Grace liked seeing all the artwork on the walls made by people of all different ages and none of them looked the same.
Shay liked the books turned and formed to resemble stumps of wood and the glass blowing, too. After we arrived back in Index later that day, David Cameron and his wife, Louise Lindgren, opened the Index History Museum especially for our group. We split into two groups and toured the museum one group at a time. Our students invited the Skykomish students to tour first, because they needed to return to their school. The students enjoyed learning more about the town. A big thank you to the David and Louise!
A Reminder from Mrs. Hansen, District Assessment Coordinator: Assessments Continue Please be aware that although we have completed the MSP (Measurements of Student Progress) testing in grades 3-8, teachers are still administering the summative OSPI-Developed Assessments in various academic areas K-8. These assessments, commonly referred to as the Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) and Classroom-Based Performance Assessments (CBPAs), are used by the classroom teachers to gauge student understanding of the learning standards (EALRs/GLEs). With that in mind, we ask for parent cooperation in helping us keep student absences to a minimum. Thank you!
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Watch for the next and last Bear News for this school year on June 7th. ****************************************
Internet, Mobile Phones, and Texting Safety Tips for Kids
********************************Washington State Department of Health RE: Whooping Cough (pertussis) Our state is in the middle of the worst whooping cough (pertussis) epidemic in 70 years. More than 3,400 cases have been reported so far this year—12 times more than the number of cases reported at this time last year (287). Whooping cough is highly contagious. It causes cold-like symptoms, spreads by coughing and sneezing, and may last for many weeks. The greatest risk is to babies who suffer more severe symptoms, and who usually get the disease from older children and adults. Most of the reported cases of whooping cough are in school-age children. That’s why schools play a critical role in controlling the spread of this disease. Here are some ways you can help: Support your school nurse in monitoring and requiring compliance with immunization laws. Children under age seven need a series of five doses of the whooping cough vaccine called DTaP. Students in grade 6 need a “booster” called Tdap to prevent whooping cough. Encourage all school personnel to get a whooping cough “booster” or Tdap shot to protect themselves and everyone else at school. Educate parents and your school community on how to prevent the spread of whooping cough. Materials are available on the Washington State Department of Health Whooping Cough Epidemic Web site at www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/IllnessandDisease/WhoopingCough.aspx. Share this material with all school staff at orientation meetings at the start of the school year. Page 2August 20, 2012 Washington has taken steps to control the cost of the vaccine: The state buys all recommended vaccines for kids up to age 19 – available through health care providers across the state. Most health insurance plans cover the whooping cough vaccine for adults; it’s available in health care provider offices and pharmacies. The Department of Health bought Tdap vaccine for uninsured and underinsured adults. Local health agencies have information about where this vaccine is available in your community. Note, while there’s no cost for the vaccines purchased by the state, health care providers may charge for an office visit or to administer the vaccine. People who can’t afford the fees can ask the provider to waive the cost. Thank you for your support of a healthy Washington during this epidemic. Working together, we can keep our communities safe from diseases that vaccines can prevent. Sincerely, Randy I. Dorn State Superintendent of Public.
*************************** From the Kitchen:
Unfortunately, with the rising cost of food and fuel the school will be implementing a price hike on breakfast and lunch for the 2012 – 2013 school year.
Breakfast $2.00 Lunch $3.00 Milk $0.75
Index School does not sponsor a summer feeding program, however if you are in need here are three places you can contact:
*The Family Food Hotline 1-888-4- FOOD-WA. Calling this number will give families the location, meal times, and contact information for summer meals based on their full address, city, and/or zip code.
*The Parent Help website at WWW.ParentHelp123.org This website is easy for families to use as they can easily access summer meal locations by entering their zip code.
*Text, FoodWA, to 877-877. Users will receive a return test with information on summer food sites based on their zip code.
Ambition Takes You Far By Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
Ambition can be powerful. Ambition helps a person mobilize his resources. Ambition enables someone to face challenges and persist. Ambition prevents a person from giving up.
A person with a high degree of ambition will be able to accomplish much more than someone with similar intelligence and skills but without ambition.
Ambition enables a person to overcome laziness and a tendency to procrastinate. When you have an authentic ambition to excel in a certain area, you will put in the necessary time and energy to gain the knowledge. You will have the energy to practice the skill you want to perfect.
Ambition helps you overcome potential obstacles that might get in the way. The stronger your ambition, the less any obstacle can deter you from proceeding.
*************************** The ChildFind program conducts activities for the purpose of locating, evaluating and identifying students with a suspected disability. Activities apply to student’s ages birth through 21. Formal screenings and assessments, which could include the areas of hearing, vision, social skills, languages, learning and motor skills, are completed on preschool students. For parent(s)/guardians(s) with concerns about their child’s development or questions about the ChildFind program, please contact the Index School at 360-793-1330. Home schooling: Parents and students may exercise their personal preference for home instruction, but must register their Declaration of Intent with the Index School District to conduct instruction in the home. Home instruction is subject to those state laws and regulations, which ensure a sufficient basic education program in provided. Registration forms for home schooling may be obtained by calling the school. Granting of credit for home instruction is at the discretion of the district. (RCW28A.225.010; 28A.150.350; WAC392.134.002-392.134.010; WAC392.121.181-392.121.183) Special education services: Index Public School provides special education services for all students with disabilities. These services are available in the general age range of birth through age 21 and are provided as near the child’s home school area as possible. Parent(s)/guardian(s) of students with disabilities have basic rights in the following areas: (1) notice and consent, (2) confidentiality of records, (3) testing and assessment, (4) individualized educational program, (5) placement, and (6) due process (mediation and/or impartial hearing), a standardized process for resolving disagreements. Index Public School has the legal responsibility to notify parent(s)/guardians(s) when the district proposes to initiate or change the identification, assessment or education of the child; or when it, upon request of the parent(s)/guardian(s), refuses to initiate or change the identification, assessment or educational placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate education to the child. Index Public School must obtain the written consent of the parent(s)/guardian(s) prior to conducting any initial evaluation of a student and prior to providing initial special education and related services to a special education student. If parent(s)/guardian(s) do not consent, the district may ask for a hearing officer to decide the issue. (WAC3920172-304c Comcast offers $10 Internet access for low-income families
Thanks to regulators who required low-income access when Comcast acquired NBC Universal earlier this year, families with students who receive free school lunches will now qualify for low-cost Internet access. For students this fall, that means families with an income of about $29,000 or less would qualify for the new “Internet Essentials” program, which provides $9.95 a month broadband Internet access, vouchers for discounted $149 computers, free Norton anti-virus software, and free computer training. The program is available for families in Comcast service areas with K-12 students who don’t have current Internet service and don’t have any outstanding Comcast bills. And unlike the introductory rates advertised on TV, Comcast says the $9.95 rate won’t increase. Find out more at internetessentials.com Disclaimer: the following is not an Index School sponsored event: Join the Girl Scouts! To find out more about Girl Scouts, visit them at www.girlscoutsww.org or call Andrea Lang at 360-793-1097 to join the new Index Troop! Open to Kindergarten through 12th grade!! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IMMUNIZATIONS CHANGES BELOW! Contacts: Michele Roberts, Immunization and Child Profile Office 360-236-3720 Julie Graham, Communications Office 360-236-4022 Immunizations for children should be part of your summer plans Protect your children from vaccine-preventable diseases before the back to school rush OLYMPIA ¾ Get a head start on a healthy school year by making sure summer plans include getting your kids fully immunized. Make an appointment now before the rush of sports physicals and yearly checkups makes scheduling more difficult. “When we send our children to child care or school, we don’t want them to catch dangerous illnesses like whooping cough or measles,” said State Health Officer and pediatrician Dr. Maxine Hayes. “Vaccine-preventable diseases spread quickly in schools — immunizations can protect our children and our communities.” Washington’s school immunization exemption rates show that many of our state’s children are vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases. Whooping cough has increased in Washington, with more than 600 cases of this serious disease in our state last year. Measles also poses a growing threat to our kids and four cases have already been confirmed this year, including one identified yesterday. Parents can find out which immunizations are required for school and child care attendance online (www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/default.htm), and should request their child’s vaccination records now to allow time for an appointment with a healthcare provider if additional immunizations are needed. Children who are up-to-date on recommended immunizations meet school and child care entry requirements. Although exemptions are allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons, the best disease protection is to make sure children have all their recommended immunizations. Children who aren’t fully immunized may be sent home from school, preschool, or child care during outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease. A new law effective July 22, 2011 changes the process for parents or guardians to exempt their child from school or child care immunization requirements. Under the new law, parents must get information from their health care provider about immunizations. The health care provider must then sign a Certificate of Exemption form for most types of exemptions. More information about the form and the new law (www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/default.htm) is available online. All recommended vaccines for children under 19 are provided at no-cost through Washington’s Childhood Vaccine Program. Health care providers may charge an office visit or administration fee, but this can also be waived for those who cannot pay. For help finding a health care provider or an immunization clinic, call a local health agency (www.doh.wa.gov/LHJMap/LHJMap.htm) or the WithinReach (www.withinreachwa.org) Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588. Listen to State Health Officer Dr. Maxine Hayes talk about immunizations using the MP3 audio clips on our back-to-school immunizations page ( http://www.doh.wa.gov/NewsRoom). The Department of Health website (www.doh.wa.gov) is your source for a healthy dose of information. Also, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.Washington State Change in Exemption Requirements
June 14, 2011
Dear Parent or Guardian:
State law requires that before attending a licensed child care or school, children must get immunized against certain diseases that vaccines can prevent. Parents and guardians meet this requirement by filling out and turning in a Certificate of Immunization Status, showing their child has the required vaccinations (or that he or she has immunity already because of having the illness).
If parents and guardians choose to exempt their child from one or more of the required vaccines, they must fill out a Certificate of Exemption form. The 2011 Washington State Legislature passed a law that changes the process for getting an immunization exemption. All other parts of the law remain the same.
The new law says that: · Parents or guardians who want to exempt their child from school or child care immunization requirements must first talk to a licensed health care provider about the benefits and risks of immunization. The provider must sign the Certificate of Exemption verifying that the parent got this information. · A health care provider does not need to sign the form for parents or guardians who show membership in a church or religious body that does not allow medical care from a health care provider. · A provider may also write and sign a letter that verifies the same information instead of signing the form. · Schools and child cares can accept copies of the exemption form and provider letter. · Providers signing the form in good faith won’t face legal liability. Beginning July 22, 2011, parents or guardians who want to exempt their child from immunization requirements must fill out and turn in the updated exemption form to their school or child care. Find more information and the form at www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/immunize/schools/default.htm. Skipping vaccinations or missing vaccine doses makes it more likely that your child can catch and spread serious illnesses like whooping cough and measles, which vaccines can prevent. Getting kids all their recommended immunizations protects them, their classmates, friends, and families from preventable diseases. Kids who don’t get fully immunized may have to stay home from school, preschool, or child care if a disease outbreak occurs. Sincerely,
Linda Tate
Index School District
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What To Do? What to do if we oversleep and/or my child will be late to school? First thing, call the school and let us know your child is on his or her way. Second, let us know if you want them to have hot lunch. This needs to be done prior to 8:30 a.m. If you didn’t let us know prior to 8:30 we will want you to supply the child’s lunch. I hope that clears up things for all. Lunches are prepared according to actual lunch counts. This saves the school district money and in turn saves families money by holding down the cost to purchase lunches. ************************ What to do when Winter Weather arrives We would like to remind you of the website http://www.schoolreport.org/ that you can access for school schedule changes due to adverse weather conditions and other emergency situations. This system also alerts the local radio and television stations to schedule changes for our school. In a power outage, our school phone system only lasts as long as the back-up batteries. If we have a long power outage, we usually release the students at 11:30 a.m. prior to the building becoming chilly. When we have snow, we work with the Department of Transportation since we have our buses on Highway 2; the Town of Index for the roads from the highway into town; and our own Transportation Department along with our Superintendent to weigh the risk factor --often starting school late or closing. Be assured your child’s safety along with our staff’s safety is first and foremost in our decision-making. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ******************************* ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ DISCLAIMER THIS IS NOT AN INDEX SCHOOL SPONSORED EVENT Sheriff Joe Beard would like to let parents know that they can get automatic e-mail alerts when a level 2 or 3 offender moves within 1 mile of their home. Here are the directions: Go to the Sheriff’s Office Web site located at Sheriff.snoco.org Click on site Click on Sheriff Services Click on registered sex offenders Slide down to middle of this page to Washington State Sex Offender Web Site (Snohomish County) and click on this Center of page at top states Register for E-mail alerts One can also search the web site by entering address of where they live and a map will appear for them. *************************************************** MY COKE REWARDS Every point you donate helps make great things happen for your school. Encourage others in your community to get involved in My Coke Rewards for Schools. Help our school spread the word by sharing on Facebook and Twitter now. Index Elementary zip code is 98256. |
Bear News - Index School 360-793-1330 |